What to Do When a Screw Punctures the Tire?
4 Answers
Here are the steps to handle a screw puncturing the tire: 1. Pull over: Don't panic when encountering this situation. After feeling the car run over a screw, pull over immediately, turn on the hazard lights, and place a safety warning sign behind the car. 2. Check the tire: Do not remove the screw by yourself, as car tires are generally tubeless, and punctures may not cause immediate air leakage, allowing you to drive to a repair shop. However, if you pull it out yourself, the tire will deflate instantly, requiring you to either replace it with a spare tire or contact a 4S shop for repair. First, check whether the tire is leaking air after the puncture. Spray some soapy water on the punctured area to see if bubbles form. If bubbles appear, it indicates air leakage; otherwise, there is no leakage. (1) No air leakage after puncture: Even if there is no air leakage upon inspection, it doesn't mean no action is needed. There might still be minor leakage, and the car can be driven, but at a very slow speed to avoid a blowout on the highway. Drive slowly to the nearest repair shop. (2) Air leakage after puncture: Air leakage can be divided into two scenarios. One is slow leakage after the puncture, in which case you must drive very carefully to avoid high speeds and find a nearby repair shop. If you're on a highway, do not drive and seek roadside assistance instead. If the leakage is severe, do not continue driving, as it could damage the vehicle and cause a traffic accident. Wait for assistance on the spot.
Last time I encountered a screw puncturing my tire, I immediately stopped in a safe place to check the tire condition. First, I used my phone's flashlight to observe the nail's position—don't rush to pull it out because removing it might cause faster air leakage. I took out the tire pressure gauge from the trunk to check the pressure. If the reading is normal, you can still drive within 20 kilometers to a nearby repair shop for a patch, but remember not to exceed 60 km/h, or it might easily lead to a blowout. If the air leakage is severe, changing to the spare tire is the safest option. I recommend always keeping emergency tools like a jack and an air pump in your car—they can really be lifesavers when driving. During regular maintenance, ask the mechanic to check tire wear and replace aging ones, as tires are directly related to driving safety and should never be neglected.
Don't panic when a nail punctures your tire. Pull over safely, turn on hazard lights to avoid rear-end collisions. If you're handy, use a jack to lift the car, remove the wheel and take it to a professional shop for internal patching - it's cost-effective and preserves tire integrity. Avoid external patches as they may leak. Without tools, call roadside assistance for towing; driving on it risks wheel deformation and higher repair costs. Afterwards, I investigate how the nail got there - once traced to construction zone neglect, so now I avoid such routes and stay vigilant for road debris. Remember to check tire pressure every 3 months (maintain around 2.5bar) to prevent hazards.
There are two scenarios when a tire gets punctured by a nail, and I've dealt with them many times. If the nail is stuck in the tread grooves and there's no immediate air leakage, you must get it repaired as soon as possible because bumps could worsen the damage. If the tire is already leaking, the severity matters: a slow leak can be temporarily fixed with emergency tire sealant, allowing you to drive to a repair shop, but a fast leak means you'll need to switch to the spare tire. Important reminder: if the nail is in the sidewall, don't bother repairing it—replace the tire directly for safety. After patching the tire, remember to get a wheel balance; otherwise, the steering wheel may shake at high speeds. Keep the removed nail and show it to the mechanic to help assess the extent of the damage.
